Witkoff and Kushner to Meet Iranian Foreign Minister in Pakistan for Critical Talks

U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to travel to Pakistan in the coming days to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to Axios.

The diplomatic mission seeks to break the current stalemate in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which have shown no progress despite President Donald Trump extending the ceasefire. The urgency stems from the need to advance discussions before Trump considers military options.

Key Meetings in Islamabad

Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on Friday night for talks with Pakistani officials, including:

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif
• Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
• Field Marshal Asim Munir

A Pakistani official told Axios that the meeting with Araghchi will focus on relaunching negotiations with the U.S. government.

"A trilateral meeting with the U.S. will be assessed after our meeting with Araghchi," the official stated.

Following his visit to Islamabad, Araghchi is expected to travel to Muscat and then to Moscow, though the exact timing of his meeting with the U.S. envoys remains unclear.

Behind the Scenes: U.S. and Iranian Dynamics

Vice President Vance, who led the U.S. negotiating team in previous rounds, will not attend the trip. U.S. officials cited the absence of his counterpart, Iranian Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, as the reason. Ghalibaf reportedly grew frustrated with internal Iranian leadership disputes and even considered resigning.

"He was talking to other officials in Iran about resignation and considering it, but he has not done it yet," a source with knowledge of the situation told Axios.

What’s next: U.S. officials confirmed that Vice President Vance will remain on standby to travel to Pakistan if negotiations progress. He is also expected to participate in phone calls with the on-ground team as needed.

Vance’s chief of staff and other members of his team will accompany Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan, the officials added. CNN was the first to report on the planned trip.